The present invention relates in general to surgical retractor tools, and, more specifically, to a disposable retractor tool or rake with integral lighting which can be manipulated manually as a “one-finger assistant” or can be suspended from a support frame.
In certain surgical procedures, such as minimally-invasive cardiac surgery (MICS), access into a patient's body is obtained through a relatively small incision in order to reduce recovery times and tissue trauma. In order to manipulate tissues and perform the desired surgical operation deep inside the patient's body through the small incision, various tools are necessary.
One such tool is a rake which may include paddle-like flat or curved surfaces (or wire-frame constructions) for retracting, lifting, or positioning various tissues such as the heart or a heart valve. The tool may be handheld or may be adapted to be mounted to a support frame that holds the tool at a selected position.
One example of a surgical procedure requiring a handheld tool in particular, is an operation to remove a portion of a thickening heart septum through the aortic valve. In this procedure, it is necessary to support the valve and keep it open during access to the septum. Because of the narrow entry and the depth at which the surgeon performs an operation such as this one, obtaining sufficient illumination of the target tissues can be difficult. A typical light source is mounted externally of the surgical site, such as a light supported by a head band worn by the surgeon or a light suspended on a movable support arm from a fixed frame. Light penetration is limited, and shadowing may often occur.